Denton Wilde Sapte has advised the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) on a 15-year shipbuilding deal with BVT Surface Fleet.
Under the partnership agreement BVT is expected to design and build frigates while committing to cost savings estimated to reach at least £350m over the length of the agreement. In return it will be guaranteed work worth at least £230m per year.
Dentons is one of the MoD’s panel firms and picked up this instruction after pitching against the MoD’s other advisers.
Lead partner and head of energy, transport and infrastructure Chris McGee-Osborne said: “The MoD has a large number of contracts with BVT for services. This is an umbrella agreement, so making the interface agreements work was interesting.”
McGee-Osborne worked alongside fellow energy, transport and infrastructure partner Dominic Spacie, technology, media and telecoms partner Catherine Bingham, senior associate Charles Reddish and associate Ike Nwafor.
The deal will see BVT carry out certain work in the UK and follows on from the stated objectives of the Government’s Defence Industrial Strategy, which outlined areas of the defence industry that would be targeted for domestic production.
BVT was advised by Berwin Leighton Paisner partner Richard Lucas, who was unavailable for comment. He was assisted by partner David Harrison, senior associate Katherine Calder and associate Elizabeth Reid.
